First of all i´m just an ordinary audiophile, nothing more.
But to me, if prices are listed or not, is the same. Why? Because,
- anyone can now easily check out and know the price of a particular piece of equipment
- especially when you are really interested. :scholar:
- in my opinion this noise all around the prices is more for the satisfaction of personal curiosity (it happens to me) and not so much the result of frustration in serious moments of purchase. I do not let this curiosity be enough for me to make a dealer wasting time, asking just for asking, nor for me to think I have the right to demand that prices are available, as I said, just to satisfy my curiosity.
- high end audio is a very special medium. In addition to the detractors of the medium itself, it is very easy to have many others “from outside”. Everyone (or almost) likes music and it is very easy to walk the net listening to music and find strange equipment and prices and start hitting the product, the brand, etc. It is easy to see this in the comments to videos on the you tube of high end systems where many of those who comment are clearly not in the middle and, of course, cannot understand the prices involved (*).
- because I'm one of those who don't buy without listening (except acessories of affordable prices), I don't understand this question. It is a little incomprehensible to me to buy audio gear without listening. Whoever wants to buy goes to stores and tries to listen before buying (**) and then you will always know the price.
opcorn:
(*) I am not saying that those in the middle understand. For example, I don't understand certain prices,
but that's another conversation!
(**) Gone are the days when the dealers lent equipment for people to hear at home! I remember when I bought my Sonus Faber Grand Piano Home. At the time I was in love (at the store) but they were too expensive for my bag. Realizing how surrendered I was, the shop owner, without asking for anything, went to an employee and told him to put a pair in my car trunk for me to listen to at my house. :Bow:A week later I returned to the store. Head lost with money in hand. Today I know that the store does not let anyone take equipment home to test. Because? Because there are many who, when they don't like it, don't hesitate to use social networks and forums to get down. And little by little, brands and dealers are protecting themselves. I, in place of both, would eventually do the same.